Seven Years
by HeavenlyZenith
Summary: Imagine waiting seven years for someone to return, only to have to deceive him, lie to him, and ultimately destroy him when he gets back. Ganon/Zel, AU


**_IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is ALTERNATE UNIVERSE. As in this doesn't happen in the game, at all! I'm twisting the plot around for my own amusement. Which reminds me... I do NOT own The Legend of Zelda in any way, shape, or form except for my Twilight Princess and Windwaker games, and my Zelda t-shirt._**

**_Also, in this story, SHEIK IS A GIRL!! I can't stress this enough. This is NOT YAOI!! And if you don't like the pairing, don't send a review saying so. Just politely leave right now, or bear with it and read away._**

**_Enjoy!_**Ganondorf silently rode down the rocky path, a hidden dagger pressed up against a petite hooded figure sitting in front of him. "If you say a word, I'll kill you," he muttered, and the figure nodded silently.

* * *

The clouds darkened above Hyrule Castle, and blue eyes stared up at the cloudy sky. _Just like my dream._ Her gaze fell back down to her lap. _Where is Link? Ganondorf is moving too soon. It isn't supposed to be like this._

* * *

My name is Princess Zelda. No, that's not right. My name _was_ Princess Zelda. Now, I am Sheik, a spy for Lord Ganondorf and a warrior for the Dark World. I was forced, no, persuaded to join him, and in doing so I was given a new identity. I have no interest in what happens to my people. They mean nothing to me now. I have stolen from them, hid from them, even murdered some of them. I am wanted in more places than I can name, and most would rather I be dead than alive.

It has been hard, changing from someone that everyone loves and adores to someone who is hated. I've returned to my "father" with cuts and bruises stemming from fights with civilians. Somehow I always get away, but sometimes I wish they would just kill me. The world would be a lot better off without a princess turned spy running around.

* * *

"Sheik," I heard him call from some room in the large castle. I found him easily due to the fact that I knew the castle up and down. It was different from the old castle, but I didn't let my mind dwell on that. That was a whole other life.

"Yes sir," I said, kneeling before him. I looked up at him, and I knew that he saw the large gash starting just inches from my left eye and running down to my jaw. They were expecting me to show up now. They were armed and, apparently, they knew how to wield a knife as well as a civilian should. I had used a bit of magic to heal the wound, but it was still painfully obvious that I'd been in a fight.

I found it a bit strange that nobody recognized me as the former princess of Hyrule. Perhaps it was because most people thought her to be dead. She had, after all, been taken silently by Ganondorf, underneath everyone's noses. Why wouldn't she be dead?

Perhaps it was because of the way my face looked. I didn't look like a pampered princess anymore. My face was cut up and tense and I never wore makeup anymore. My hair was cut so short that I looked like a boy. I wasn't even a teenager yet; my chest had barely developed at all. In everyone's eyes, Sheik was a young boy thief. To most, I was a nuisance. To a select few, I was just a poor boy who was trying to live in this dark world.

There were people who would take me in, give me food and shelter, though I didn't need it. I had Ganondorf, and that was more than enough for me. But in order to be an efficient spy for the Dark Lord, I had to feign helplessness. He wanted information; he wanted to know if anyone was plotting against him. If so, I was to kill them and silently leave the village.

"Did you need something?" I asked with as much politeness as I could muster up. I was still weak from the last fight I'd escaped from. He saw this and took my shoulders, pulling me up to my feet. Then he knelt down and stared right into my core. It was numbing.

"I don't want you to get yourself killed, Sheik," he told me, and at that moment I didn't see him as a tyrant bent on taking over the world. I saw him as a human – I saw worry in his eyes, I felt the anger in his touch as he ran his finger down the side of my face where the wound was. I flinched. "You are to stay here for three days. I want you healed up before you go out again, understood?"

"Yes, sir," I said, bowing my head. He patted my shoulder and I walked past him slowly towards the room I slept in. I refused to call it my room, since I felt as if I was just a pawn in his plan, and didn't deserve to have my own room.

Sometimes I'd have nightmares. It was always the same. I would see the princess standing in the Temple of Time, light surrounding her. I've figured her out to be the symbol of victory, as I've had this nightmare countless times. Link, with his faithful blue fairy and the Ocarina of Time, would reach out to her. Their hands would be mere inches from each other before I would stab the princess in the back with my dagger.

I've figured that I am to be Link's demise, as I'm the one who destroys the victory he's so close to obtaining. The fact that it's the same dream again and again tells me that it's a prophecy and not just a recurring nightmare. It was similar to the time that I'd dreamt about Link's arrival and the dark clouds when I was still Princess Zelda.

Sometimes I wonder where Link is, but then I remember that he is an enemy now, and that when he does show up again, I will most likely be ordered to eliminate him. It gave me a bit of contentment that the one person who had placed Link into this monstrosity of events would be the one to free him from the inevitable.

* * *

It's now been five years since Princess Zelda disappeared from the face of the earth. I'm a full-grown teenager now, and I'm starting to gain some of the features of a female, much to my displeasure, as I've been masquerading as a boy for quite some time. Thankfully, Ganondorf used a bit of magic to hide these features when I am not in the castle, letting me continue my little game. Five years is a long time to live with someone who took you from your home, forced you to take on a new identity, and intends to only use you as a tool later on down the road.

But he takes care of me, and I am eternally grateful for that. I doubt I would have been able to survive on my own. Even with Impa's help.

"You called, sir?" I asked, bowing before the Dark Lord. He only laughed.

"Sheik, you don't have to be so formal with me," he said, and I looked up at him in shock. Five years I've been formal with him. Why change now? He took my chin and gripped it tightly. "You're getting better at avoiding fights. Your face is becoming chillingly feminine, and I don't want to risk using too much magic on you as someone might sense it." He paused, examining my features. "I want you to start wearing a mask."

"Yes, sir," I said, out of habit more than anything. He frowned at me, but said nothing at the formality of my statement.

"I'll have you one made by tomorrow morning. Go to bed, you look tired."

"Yes, sir," I replied, pulling from his grip and walking past him. My shoulders were slumped, my eyes were most likely bloodshot, and I probably looked horrible.

My hair has grown longer since my younger years. It's long enough to pull back into a short ponytail, but not long enough to give away my identity or get in the way. I wish to keep my hair fairly short so no one will recognize me. After all, if anybody knew that Princess Zelda was a spy for Ganondorf, I would be stripped of my title in an instant.

What am I saying? I'm already stripped of my title. There is no more Princess Zelda. She doesn't exist anymore. Only Sheik. The spy, the pawn… the son.

When will Link return?

* * *

I ran into the one person I never wanted to face again. Impa. I was certain that she would recognize me, but if she did she didn't act like it at all. She just went on with her business, which was healing the villagers. I'm sure she knew it was me; I could feel her eyes following me the whole time. I hope she understands.

It's coming into the seventh year. I have lost all will to live, and I just want to die, or rather, be killed. I have stopped calling myself a pawn, as it is obvious I'm _much_ more to him than that.

I'm thankful for the birth control potion I'd found long ago and thought to write down. My mother told me that it would come in handy someday. That's right. She had foresight as well. I got it from her. "It's a blessing and a curse the same," she'd tell me, and I'd smile and nod because I didn't fully understand. I was only seven when she died.

Years ago, when I was still Princess Zelda, I would have laughed if someone had told me that I would be _sleeping_ with the man who would take my country and turn it into hell. I would have told them that I would never do something so treacherous.

Not that I have a choice in the matter.

During the day, I am Sheik, a boy thief and a murderer, one of Ganondorf's cohorts. When the sun sets and I'm back in the castle, I'm not a thief, a murderer, or a minion. I am a concubine. It isn't the fact that it's happening, as it was inevitable. I was a female, and a captive.

That fact that I enjoyed it was the part that scared me to death. I always tell myself that I hate him, and that he'll never win, but in the back of my mind I know that he's already won. He has my kingdom, and he has me. He really is a remarkable man.

I was woken from my slumber by a bright light outside the window. I shifted in the bed; his grip tightened around my waist. I pried myself from him and stood up, grabbing my robe and tying the sash around my hips. I peered outside the window to see light shooting up from the direction of the Temple of Time.

He had finally returned, and I would be the one to greet him, to lead him astray, and to ultimately kill him. The irony of it all was fascinating.

* * *

"It's good to see you again, Hero," I said, peering through my bangs. I was grateful for the mask covering most of my face, as I was sure he would recognize me otherwise. He grabbed his sword and spun around, stopping on a dime when he saw me standing there.

"Zelda," he said, putting the sword away. My eyes widened. I had to stay calm.

"Princess Zelda is dead," I said, clenching my fists. "She was kidnapped by Ganondorf seven years ago before your own eyes. Do you not believe she is dead?"

"Don't lie to me, Zelda," Link said, and I held back my tears. How did he know it was me? I took a breath to calm myself down.

"Princess Zelda is dead," I repeated. "She doesn't exist anymore."

"Then who are you?" he asked.

"I am Sheik," I said without hesitation. "Survivor of the Sheikah tribe. As you know, the Sheikah tribe was loyal to the royal family, and though the princess is dead, I am still loyal to her, and will aid in the downfall of the Dark Lord Ganondorf." I could see the suspicion in his eyes still, but he seemed to believe me.

Before I could react, he had his fingers wrapped around the hem of my cloth mask. I grabbed that hand, glaring lethally at him, and his grip loosened, though he didn't let go. "It would be a shame if the Hero of Time lost one of his hands," I hinted, letting the metal of my dagger glimmer in the light of the temple. He finally backed away and I closed my eyes in relief.

"In order to defeat Ganondorf, you must have the aid of the seven sages," I recited. "One of them resides in the Chamber of the Sages." I heard him say the Light Sage's name softly. "Five of them are trapped in temples. The last one will make themselves known when the time comes. You, as the Hero of Time, must free the remaining sages from the evil trapping them in the temples."

"Where's the first temple?" Link asked me. At least he wasn't questioning my identity anymore.

"In the forest. But you can't even get into the temple the way you are equipped. You must go to Karkariko Village and retrieve an item you need to get into the temple." I smiled underneath my mask. He'd grown so much in seven years.

"Should I tell them that you sent me?"

"No!" I said, a little too quickly. He glanced at me, and I cursed myself silently. Great, now he was suspicious of me again. "They wouldn't know me. There's no need to mention me at all."

"Okay," he said softly, and he turned and walked out of the temple. As soon as he was outside, I collapsed on the ground and started crying. I saw Ganondorf's metal boots appear before me, and I didn't even acknowledge him as he picked me up and transported back to the castle.

* * *

"I'm so sorry, he almost saw through my guise," I apologized again. Ganondorf ran his fingers through my chin-length hair.

"You handled it beautifully, Sheik," he reassured me. "You never contradicted your words, and you kept yourself composed until he left."

"I know, but I'm just worried that I won't be able to hold myself together as well next time." He smiled at me.

"Don't worry," he told me.

"As the seventh sage, I'll be able to tell when a sage is sent to the Chamber of Sages," I told him, glancing down at my bare hand, which had the symbol of the Triforce on it. I had changed out of the Sheikah clothing as soon as I'd gotten back.

"So when you need to leave, go. I trust you not to leave this castle without a good reason," he told me, and I nodded. It was good that he trusted me. After seven years of being hated, it felt good to be loved by someone.

* * *

I ran as fast as I could around the corners of the maze. I knew the Lost Woods like the palm of my own hand. I had learned the way through it long ago, via books about the landscape of Hyrule. The famous Kokiri legend was totally fictional. If you got lost in the Lost Woods, you didn't turn into a Skull Kid. You were just brought back to the beginning of the maze. Link, no doubt, knew about this, since he'd been in here many times.

I arrived in the Sacred Forest Meadow at the same time Link was getting ready to leave. We met at the small alcove between the Lost Woods and the meadow. He immediately grabbed my wrists, and I could only glare daggers at him.

"You forgot to mention the fact that you're a thief working for Ganondorf," he said icily, and my heart dropped to my stomach. He'd asked around and found out everything about me, apparently. "I could kill you right now and it wouldn't faze me one bit. I don't need you to help me get the rest of the sages. I can figure it out on my own. However," he grabbed my glove and pulled it off, revealing the Triforce, "it would be very stupid to kill the princess, since she's the whole reason I'm here in the first place."

"Why does having the Triforce mean I'm the princess?" I asked, hatred in my voice. "I told you, the princess is dead." He pushed me away and sighed.

"No matter how much you deny it, I know the truth, _Sheik_," he said. In an instant he was behind me, one hand grasping my wrists and the other arm pressed against my neck. I struggled against him, but I couldn't fight him. His free hand reached up and grabbed my mask, pulling it down quickly. I cursed aloud. My secret was out. "Why lie? Ganondorf would never find out. Why try so hard to keep it a secret when I already know the truth?"

"Ganondorf…" I whispered. He let me go and I immediately pulled my mask back up.

"You would rather help him than me?" he asked me, and I suddenly felt extremely guilty. Then it hit me.

"I am helping you, Link," I said. "I'm helping you find the sages." He seemed to ponder this before nodding.

"So you're only pretending to help him," he said, and I nodded enthusiastically. It was better if he didn't know the truth. "Please meet me again soon, Sheik. I enjoy talking to you."

"Of course, Hero," I said, smiling under my mask. He disappeared and I leaned against the wall. "Ganondorf," I said weakly. "I'm sorry."

When I got back to the castle, Ganondorf was waiting patiently for me. He had a frown on his face, most likely from the fact that my eyes were bloodshot. "What happened?" he asked, grabbing me and pulling me close.

"He knows," I said. "But, I tricked him. I told him that I was actually against you, and working with him to bring you down. He thinks I'm tricking you."

"That was very insightful of you."

"I do have the Triforce of Wisdom, after all," I told him, smiling. "Now all I have to do is keep him from knowing the truth. He already trusts me, just because I used to be the princess. Absurd, really."

"Go clean up, dinner will be ready shortly," he told me, and I nodded. I walked into the washroom and splashed water over my now unmasked face. I looked up into my reflection. How Link had recognized me, I would never guess. I stepped out of my Sheikah uniform and changed into the red tunic hanging on the wall. I fastened the belt around my waist; the bottom of the tunic just hit my knees.

I ate my dinner slowly, biding my time for I knew that as soon as I was finished eating I was to follow him to _his_ room. It was not _our_ room. Nothing in this god-forsaken castle was mine except for what I had gathered on my own, such as the herbs for the potion I needed, and my weapons. Oh, and the Triforce of Wisdom.

On the contrary, I was _his_. I wasn't even my own property. I belonged to him, and I knew this and I didn't question it. I had no authority to. I wasn't the princess anymore. I was Sheik.


End file.
